How Hot, is too Hot

I went out for a feed of chicken wings with a few friends.
We opted to try a new place, spread our wings to new horizons.

I order as always, "wings hot, please".
They were so hot, I couldn't finish them. I will never go back for that kind of abuse, besides the wings were small.

I enjoy some heat but not suicide.
I find Franks Hot sauce about the right degree of heat.
How much heat do others handle?

when something is served that is so hot that all you taste is HOT, that's too hot. You should be able to taste the food- not just the heat!
A long time back- we went to an Italian place here in Dallas, and I ordered the red clam sauce with pasta- the owner said that this was a hot and spicy dish- he was right- way too spicy- when your tongue can't tell you what your tasting, except for the HEAT- get out of that kitchen! If something is presented to me for eating and it literally curls my nosehairs when I breathe in- it's too hot!

A habanero pepper is my " most heat " level...

When ordering at a new place ask about their product. At the bar up the road I have to insult the cook just to get him to make my wings tangy. Everyones taste is different so just ask.

You asked for hot. You got hot. Why fault the restaurant for following your instructions?

NB: Franks is great stuff and the original wing sauce, but generally not considered terribly hot.

You ask for hot and you get hot....and you're mad....????????Is there something I'm missing here??????

Aw, Lee, I don't think Doug was mad, just short of breath
I know my love of extreme hot has gone down as my age has gone up. Sort of a reverse scoville scale.

I used to grow Serrano peppers and eat them raw and in sauces. I cannot do that anymore without suffering severe discomfort in both the eating and later in the digestive process.
These days I request 'Mild' when there is a choice of spice-heat levels.

On a related interpretation of the same question, I am really unhappy when a restaurant serves food that is supposed to be HOT (temperature) at room or luke-warm temperature. I want my soup or chowder to be steaming hot when it is placed before me. If my entree is placed on an ice-cold plate there is no way it will remain HOT long enough for me to enjoy it. The steak sizzling on a platter is what the dinner is all about. Lately it seems that luke-warm is the standard for serving a 'hot' entree.

I enjoy my food spicy, not just hot with hust the hot taste and no other flavour. One of my friends made pasta for a bunch of us at his house, it was so hot that my girlfriend couldn't even eat it.

I found it to be a waste, just drink the hot sauce if you want hot and flavour the food so it has heat and flavour.

I have friends that have a collection of hot sauces. To them, the hotter the better. I have never understood that but it seems to work for them.

I like a little bit of heat but I enjoy the taste of the pepper much better.

I have several different peppers in my garden. Jalapeno, bell, serrano and even an occasional habernaro.

If the heat overcomes the taste, it is personally unacceptable to me.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Hello All,
I know where Sundancer is coming from.
I have young co-workers that worship hot sauces,
but do not understand that the "heat" is supposed to
enhance flavour in a dish rather than over-power it.
Sometimes it seems like a stupid game as to who can
stomach and tolerate the hottest pepper, sauce, or
spice.
I want to enjoy food, not have it be a challenge for
me to enjoy.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

I went to an Indian restaurant and ordered lamb vindaloo. I was asked, "How hot do you want it"?
I said "I've never found anything in any restaurant that was too hot for me so I'd like it very hot, native Indian hot". The food came out and one bite told me I wouldn't be happy. The waiter came back and asked how I liked the dish? I told him I didn't like it at all, that it was too mild. "Oh", he said, "you wanted it hot"! I never went back. I now say that I want the dish hot, hot as they make it in Goa and if it isn't hot, I'm not paying for it as I'm sending it back. I usually get a smile along with my spicy dish. I agree that things can be too hot though. I've never understood the appeal of Dave's Insanity Sauce. I think it's aimed at a macho college age crowd where one tries to be macho by downing that stuff. Horrible, horrible sauce that has no decent flavor, just mind numbing heat. By the same token, if I'm at a new place and heat levels are offered, I always ask, "Well, how hot is your hot"? I hope you left a generous tip as you ordered hot, you got hot. I look forward to trying hot chicken someday in Nashville as I'm told that I'll find out what my limit is.

Hello All,
MilwFoodlovers, we have an Indian restaurant in Harrisonburg
that you would love. They have a heat scale that is righteous.
When you order 1, you know it has no heat/
2 has a good heat for American tastes.
3 is hot.
4 is the real heat for Nepal, India, and that region.
I ordered 3 once and was so grateful for the naan bread.
Visit me sometime and we shall break bread.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

I love spicy hot food, especially Chinese, Mexican, Thai, and chili. I agree with those who said the hot should not overpower flavor of the dish, but should complement it. For me, there's a very fine line between food that's spicy hot and food that becomes inedible if made too hot. I once ordered my Pad Thai extra hot at my favorite Thai place, and it felt like I had taken a bite of lava. "Hot" will be hot enough for me at that place in the future.

Andrea

A friend and I stopped in to a new, for me, Thai restaurant yesterday for lunch. Feeling adventurous, I ordered a dish called (I think) Musaamum Curry: shrimp, potatos, bell peppers and onion in a curry sauce. I asked for it "two peppers" hot (medium from the menu description). The dish was delicious overall, but if there was any discernable heat, it didn't grab my attention. The menu listed only three heat designations, one pepper - mild; two peppers - medium; three peppers - HOT. Makes me want to return and try the same dish at three peppers!

quote:

Originally posted by RedJim64

A friend and I stopped in to a new, for me, Thai restaurant yesterday for lunch. Feeling adventurous, I ordered a dish called (I think) Musaamum Curry: shrimp, potatos, bell peppers and onion in a curry sauce. I asked for it "two peppers" hot (medium from the menu description). The dish was delicious overall, but if there was any discernable heat, it didn't grab my attention. The menu listed only three heat designations, one pepper - mild; two peppers - medium; three peppers - HOT. Makes me want to return and try the same dish at three peppers!

I agree Red the restaurant should give a rating. I go to a place called Thai 9 in Dayton Ohio and they always ask what level you would like from one to ten. After a couple times you get it right. Plus you can always order some Thai chili oil on the side to adjust...Russ

We used to have a Korean place, The Blue Tower, where the owner tried to get across heat levels.
1 was no heat,
2 was a slight tingling on your lips,
3 was drops of sweat on your forehead and
4 was drops of sweat on your eyelids!
His food and his descriptions were dead on and I miss the place terribly.

Heat, it supposed to accomplish what the end user wants it to, there are no rules. I actually like Dave’s Insanity sauce (the original is better), I put a couple of teaspoons in the pan when cooking up fajitas. It has a distinctive flavor as well as a decent heat level. I enjoy the flavor of Franks as well, but when I use it I also sprinkle on Habanero. Now for Chili I like hot, but don’t want an additional flavor so I use Pure Cap, which is made of just vegetable oil and capsaicin. Sometimes just a drop will do, sometimes I like the top of my head to sweat.

MFL, you're one of the few who I believe would actually enjoy Nashville's hottest chicken. I normally get mine medium, but occasionally I get it hot.

I can eat pretty hot. My children were using Tabasco by the age of three. But when hot goes to that level of uncomfortable it is not a good thing and can destroy a great meal. The difference between great and hell isnt a very large span maybe 2 drops sometimes. I also find that one day to the next can make a huge difference as to the ammount of heat one can take. My wife might say something is too hot and I might find it correct and the next time it is the opposite....Russ

I serve hot wings pretty hot, not killer but way too hot for my mouth, I had a guy a few years ago, request an order as hot as I could make them, I kicked it up 5 notches yet he seemed to think they were rather bland, I couldn't believe it, so I took them back and poured "Dave's Ultimate Insanity" directly on each wing, completely covered them, he ate them as if they were as hot as Bananas, Some folks must be immune to the Scoville scale!

Lots of rye bread and plenty of beer should take care of the heat.

How hot is too hot? When hot becomes a competition, perhaps. I've know guys who will eat whole raw habeneros or a tablespoon of wasabi to prove their manliness. Yuck!

I hate food so hot that there is no flavor left after burning your palate.

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

I've know guys who will eat whole raw habeneros or a tablespoon of wasabi to prove their manliness. Yuck!

Well you know what they say...no brain, no pain.

I do like food that is what I call "zesty" I like hot, but not so much that it overcomes the flavor of the dish. Example when I make Chili, I will use one, but only one drop of Daves Insanity Sauce. You can taste all of the different flavors, but with a warm kick. I do make it in a large amount to serve 10-12 people. I put the sauce on the table for chili heads like myself to add more as to each persons liking. When you taste a dish it shouldn't be over whelming hot that you can'enjoy it.This is just my humble opinion. who am I to question. I prefer to taste the ingredience in the dish and add a bit of spice, We all know you can't take out the extra fire, so let us spice it to our own palate.

I like heat, but eating shouldn't be an endurance event.

I have conquered the jalapeno, long ago. And the serrano. The Thai pepper I am now unafraid of. I even ate a 1/2 inchpiece of one directly, last week. It provided an nice warmth all the way to my stomach, then nothing really left for the head. Well maybe my eustachian tubes. so far I have not had any probs with the heat deterring me from the flavors. But I have yet to try the upper scoville units.
I am almost ready for the habanero pepper.
And I prefer the name, "chili eater" to chilihead.

quote:

Posted - 12/13/2008 : 06:39:03
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I have friends that have a collection of hot sauces. To them, the hotter the better. I have never understood that but it seems to work for them.

I like a little bit of heat but I enjoy the taste of the pepper much better.

I have several different peppers in my garden. Jalapeno, bell, serrano and even an occasional habernaro.

If the heat overpowers the taste, it is personally unacceptable to me.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I Couldn't have said it better.

Heat is suppose to enhance, not become a contest. Good chef's would know that, and not try to overpower a dish.I believe, it is different, when cooking for one's self rather than for customer.

I've learned that I don't have to win any persoanl challenges anymore.

I used to eat them as hot as I could take but now I eat them to enjoy during and after.

Buffalo Wing joints usually serve a "too hot" version for the "macho", e.g. Atomic Wings at Quaker Steak & Lube. At least they have "truth in advertising" on their menu, complete with a Scoville Heat Unit chart: http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/food/menus/core_menu.pdf

I really miss the "original" Spicy at the Popeye's of the 1980's; even their red beans & rice and onion rings were "muy picante". It's a shame that they since have toned down their heat to where the difference between Spicy and Regular is now barely noticable.